The 2012 Nikon Spot-On Championships

Nikon is expanding its BDC line to embrace the quieter side of shooting. In this side event, New York law enforcement officer and shooting competitor Brian Hogan takes, and makes, a 30-yard shot with the Nikon's new Bolt XR crossbow scope.

A participant kept an eye on long-range hits using the excellent Prostaff 5 Fieldscope. This top of the line long-range spotting scope is available with an 82 mm or 60 mm objective lens in a straight or angled-body configuration. 

The Browning Silver Rifled Deer Stalker is a 12-gauge slug gun that really packs a punch. The Prostaff 2-7x32 Shotgun Hunter scope features the BDC 200 reticle, which is ideal for slug-hunting distances. 

A variety of AR-15 rifles were wearing P-223 scopes for this event. The P-223 3-9x40 is versatile scope for a wide range of AR platforms, while the P-223 Carbine 3x32 is intended for the fast-handling shorter barrel AR rifles.

Gil Horman tackled a 200- and 300-yard target using a Thompson Center Encore. The single-shot pistol was chambered in .223 and fitted with a Prostaff 4-12x40 scope. The BDC reticle made the shift to the second target a snap. 

Two members of each of the three-person teams strive to knock down a series of prairie dog plates using the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The new P-22 2-7x32 scope with the BDC 150 reticle, designed with rimfire ARs in mind, kept the plates falling in rapid succession. 

Gil Horman went prone to take a 600-yard shot using the Barrett Model 82 .50 BMG rifle topped with a Nikon Monarch X 4-16x50 scope. The 750-grain bullet struck the steel plate on the first try. It was a tough shot made much easier by the high-quality scope and rifle combination. 

Using the Spot On Ballistic Match program, shooters can calculate the precise aiming points on a BDC reticle by factoring in the type of Nikon riflescope being used, the shooting distance, ammunition caliber, bullet weight and atmospheric conditions. The program is available online, as an offline software package or as an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Introduced in 2006, Nikon's Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) Reticle utilizes multiple aiming points to allow shooters to instantly adjust for changes in target distance in the field without changing the settings of the scope. Circles are used instead of dots because the human eye naturally locates and focuses on the center of a circle. Instead of hiding the target under a dot, the eye looks through the circle onto the target, much like a rifle peep sight. The reticle eliminates the need for holdover and increases long-range accuracy. 

Drawing members of the outdoor industry from all over the country, this year's event was held at the Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf Course in Morgan, Utah. It was the perfect location for participants to stretch shots out to 600-yards or more.